Photo of Cassandra Rivera. .....Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting Elizabeth's two nieces, , when the two girls visited Elizabeth's apartment at the end of July that same year. The four women were arrested after a grand jury indicted them 3/15/95 on two counts each of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

Photo of Cassandra Rivera. .....Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting Elizabeth's two

Wrongful Death ,Photo of Elizabeth Ramirez..... Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting Elizabeth's two nieces, when the two girls visited Elizabeth's apartment at the end of July that same year. The four women were arrested after a grand jury indicted them 3/15/95 on two counts each of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

Wrongful Death ,Photo of Elizabeth Ramirez..... Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting

Photo of Kristie Mayhugh ..... Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting Elizabeth's two nieces, when the two girls visited Elizabeth's apartment at the end of July that same year. The four women were arrested after a grand jury indicted them 3/15/95 on two counts each of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

Photo of Kristie Mayhugh ..... Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting Elizabeth's two

Photo of Anna Vasquez.......Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting Elizabeth's two nieces, when the two girls visited Elizabeth's apartment at the end of July that same year. The four women were arrested after a grand jury indicted them 3/15/95 on two counts each of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

Photo of Anna Vasquez.......Elizabeth Ramirez, her roommate Kristie Mayhugh, and their two friends, Anna Vasquez and Cassandra Rivera, were accused in Sept. 1994 of sexually assaulting Elizabeth's two nieces,

Anna Vasquez opens the door to a relative's car as prison guards at the Crain Unit in Gatesville close the prison gate behind her as she is released on parole after serving 12 and a half years. Vasquez is one of the four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Anna Vasquez opens the door to a relative's car as prison guards at the Crain Unit in Gatesville close the prison gate behind her as she is released on parole after serving 12 and a half years. Vasquez is one

Anna Vasquez hugs one of her older brothers, Robert Vasquez, as they embrace each other for the first time in 12 and a half years. Anna, one of the four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison on parole from the Crain Unit in Gatesville, TX . At left is Rose Vasquez, Anna's sister-in-law, taking pictures. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Anna Vasquez hugs one of her older brothers, Robert Vasquez, as they embrace each other for the first time in 12 and a half years. Anna, one of the four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the

A statue of a praying angel stands near Maria Vasquez in her living room where Vasquez prayed daily for her daugter Anna Vasquez, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters. Anna was released from prison on parole on Nov. 2, 2012, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville after serving 12 and a half years.

A statue of a praying angel stands near Maria Vasquez in her living room where Vasquez prayed daily for her daugter Anna Vasquez, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual

A tearful Anna Vasquez (left) embraces her mother Maria Vasquez after she was released from prison on parole, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville on Nov. 2, 2012. Anna is one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters.

A tearful Anna Vasquez (left) embraces her mother Maria Vasquez after she was released from prison on parole, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville on Nov. 2, 2012. Anna is one of four San Antonio women fighting

Anna Vasquez, released from prison on Nov. 2, 2012, stops at the "Anna Wall" in her mother's home, joking that the photo of her in a crib as a baby, was the first picture of her behind bars.

Anna Vasquez, released from prison on Nov. 2, 2012, stops at the "Anna Wall" in her mother's home, joking that the photo of her in a crib as a baby, was the first picture of her behind bars.

Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News

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Anna Vasquez, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison on parole, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville on Nov. 2, 2012.

Anna Vasquez, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison on parole, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville on Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News

Image 15 of 22

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An appreciative Anna Vasquez looks up to her brother Chris Vasquez at her homecoming on Nov. 2, 2012, after serving 12 and a half years in prison. Anna, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison, on parole, from the Crain Unit in Gatesville.

An appreciative Anna Vasquez looks up to her brother Chris Vasquez at her homecoming on Nov. 2, 2012, after serving 12 and a half years in prison. Anna, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their

Anna Vasquez, just home after serving 12 and a half years in prison, admires family photos on the walls in her mother's home. Vasquez, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison at the Crain Unit in Gatesville, TX, on parole on Nov. 2, 2012.

Anna Vasquez, just home after serving 12 and a half years in prison, admires family photos on the walls in her mother's home. Vasquez, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994

Anna Vasquez (right) embraces her mother Maria Vasquez after she was released from prison on Nov. 2, 2012. Anna, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two sisters, was released from prison on parole from the Crain Unit in Gatesville.

Anna Vasquez (right) embraces her mother Maria Vasquez after she was released from prison on Nov. 2, 2012. Anna, one of four San Antonio women fighting to clear their names in the 1994 sexual assault of two

A woman who recently publicly recanted a sexual assault allegation she made as a child against four women, including her aunt, is now the subject of a Child Protective Services investigation that her attorney said is a result of retaliation linked to the recantation.

The woman's children were placed in temporary foster care last week while CPS investigates, a removal the woman said is unjustified.

Even though she is an adult, the Express-News identifies her only as Stephanie because she is still considered a victim of sexual assault by the legal system.

In a September interview, she said her aunt Elizabeth Ramirez, and her aunt's three friends, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh and Anna Vasquez, never hurt her or her sister in 1994. As the nieces then described it to the police and later to jurors, the women called them into Ramirez's apartment, where they were getting drunk and smoking pot, two of them lounging around topless, and held them by their wrists and ankles, repeatedly violated them, threatened to kill them and their families — then let them take a shower and go about their day. The Innocence Project of Texas has taken on their case, and their attorney has been working to clear their names of a crime they deny ever happened.

When the women were tried, their defense was that the nieces were lying.

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Ramirez testified that she had turned down marriage proposals from her nieces' father. That could have angered him, she said.

When asked about that in 2010, Stephanie's father, Javier Limon, denied being involved in the accusations and making any advances toward Ramirez.

Casie Gotro, an attorney who has guided Stephanie through the process of recantation, is representing her in her custody battle with CPS. She said Stephanie and her husband deny any wrongdoing and will fight the allegations and get their children back.

Gotro said she believes she knows who called in the allegations.

Gotro said an affidavit filed by CPS claims Stephanie's husband, Joseph, in front of the couple's children, pointed a butcher knife at Stephanie and Limon after an argument.

Gotro stressed the affidavit doesn't use names but said “wife and father.”

The Express-News attempted to contact Limon at the time it published the September article but was not successful. On Wednesday, messages were left at two numbers listed for the name Javier Limon in Houston and Stafford.

The Express-News was not able to obtain the court filings Wednesday.

Gotro said the CPS court document makes numerous allegations against Stephanie and her husband, including that they were running from the agency, that they refused to cooperate and that Stephanie lied to the agency.

Gotro said the couple didn't even know they were being investigated and that Stephanie cooperated except that she did lie to the agency about letting the children's father see them.

Gotro said the agency has no evidence of any domestic abuse in the household.

How these new developments could affect Stephanie's recantation in the case of her aunt and her aunt's three friends wasn't clear, according to their attorney Mike Ware and the Bexar County district attorney's office.